


Challenge Accepted

by The_Jade_Goblin



Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Malec, my version of episode 12, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-08
Updated: 2016-05-08
Packaged: 2018-06-07 03:21:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6783172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Jade_Goblin/pseuds/The_Jade_Goblin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Unless you’re here to tell me your ridiculous wedding is off and you’re here to profess your undying love to me, then get out." </p>
<p>Challenge accepted.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Challenge Accepted

 “Why are you here Alec?”

It was a good question. Alec didn’t know the answer. He was getting married in about five hours, but here he was, standing inside Magnus’s living room, staring at his feet, while Magnus glared at him from across the room. He hadn’t seen Magnus since the trial, didn’t have the chance to thank him properly, what with the slightly awkward way Magnus had left. But it was clear Magnus didn’t necessarily _want_ to hurt him, he was upset and Alec could very much understand his need to get back at him, so he let him say and do what he liked. His expression when Alec had turned up at his doorstep had been a mix of apprehension and hope, and now Magnus wouldn’t even come near him, as though physically building a wall between them. He hated it. Alec couldn’t stand the distance between them, physical or otherwise. He knew he should be grateful Magnus was distancing himself, letting him marry without his confusing feelings, but the distance only served to make his feelings more confused and intense. He didn’t want to keep hurting Magus like this. It’s not like he owed Magnus anything just because he was interested in him, but Alec couldn’t help but feel guilty at hurting the warlock so much when he’d done nothing wrong. It just couldn’t happen. _They_ just couldn’t happen. Magnus knew that. So why was Alec so desperate to make that untrue?   

“I…I don’t know…” Alec admitted, wringing his hands together, unable to look at Magnus. “I just…needed to see you.”

Because he was looking down, he didn’t see the softening of Magnus’s eyes, or the way he almost smiled at Alec’s words. Magnus knew Alec was confused and conflicted, but he was hurt, and there was only so much care he could pour into the situation before he became bitter and cruel.

“You’re getting married today. This afternoon actually.” Magnus said flatly. “You don’t need to see _me_ , you need to see your bride. Besides, aren’t your parents back from Idris? We can’t let them know you hang out with warlocks in your spare time, imagine the scandal,”

“Magnus that’s not why –”

“Liar.” Magnus said mildly, inspecting his nails. “If you stopped lying to yourself Alec you’d realise I’m right, in many things regarding you. I’ve been alive a long time and I’ve learned a few things.”

Alec was looking at Magnus now, seeing the warlock paying hardly any attention to him made him…upset? He wasn’t sure that was the right word to describe the disappointment at not having Magnus’s eyes trained on him, even in anger. He knew Magnus was right, of course he was right. Not only was Magnus male but he was a warlock. He couldn’t imagine trying to tell his parents about the way he felt. But he couldn’t deny the way he felt anymore. Did Magnus even want him now? Was he too hurt by the impending wedding to even want Alec?

“…You don’t call me Alexander anymore…”

Magnus had heard Alec speak many times, but he didn’t think he’d ever heard a sentence that vulnerable come out of his mouth before. It almost made him want to cry. Magnus sighed at the broken puppy-dog look on Alec’s face.

“Don’t.” he whispered. “Don’t do this to me.”

Alec blinked.

“You know why I haven’t called you Alexander. It’s not my place, you’re not mine for me to call you that. And you prefer Alec anyway,” Magnus murmured

“It’s your place to call me anything you like,” Alec said.

“Then I’d _like_ to call you Alec.” Magnus insisted. “You hate being called Alexander,”

“Not by you.” Alec found himself whispering before he could stop it.

Magnus looked heartbroken, and Alec hated himself for putting that look on his face. He took several steps towards him, some of the hardest steps in his life, and stopped right in front of Alec, looking up at him with a pleading expression.

“Alexander,” he said, watching Alec let out a sudden breath at the name. “You’re getting _married_ today. Why are you _here_?”

_Because I need you. Because I don’t want to get married. Because I’d rather it be you walking down the aisle and not Lydia. Because you make me feel things I’ve never felt before and I don’t want that to stop. Because I want to love and be loved by you._

All these words rang out in Alec’s mind, but he said none of them, and as usual he stayed quiet, not daring to say the things Alec knew Magnus needed to hear the most.

“I don’t know how to walk away from you Magnus,” Alec admitted.

Magnus’s eyes hardened, shielding the emotion within. “Then I suggest you start trying. This isn’t helping anyone,”

“Cheap advice coming from someone who won’t leave me alone,” Alec said dryly.

Magus smirked humourlessly. “As I recall, you’ve walked into my home twice now, without me having to do anything. Without me even wanting you here either, I might add.”

Alec’s eyes flickered down.

“Get out of my house Alec.” Magnus said stalking away from the Shadowhunter.

“Magnus…”

“Unless you’re here to tell me your ridiculous wedding is off and you’re here to profess your undying love to me, then get out.” It was a cruel joke, but only partly a lie. “I neither need nor want you here, ruining my life for a second longer. So get _out_.”

At the anger in Magnus’s face, Alec had no choice but to flee. Magnus sighed when he heard the door click shut, wondering if he had done a bad thing or a good thing by chasing Alec away. Alec would ruin his own life if he were to be with Magnus, he knew that nothing good could come from it, and he’d been alive enough years to deal with this kind of heartbreak, he’d be fine, as long as Alec wasn’t too upset. Although the thought of Alec being in an unhappy marriage did Magnus no favours. Maybe he was selfish for trying to talk Alec out of it, or maybe he just wanted Alec to do whatever he wanted for once. Was this something he truly wanted? Magnus didn’t think so, but then again he might not know the Shadowhunter as well as he’d thought he did.

Deciding to drown his sorrows in alcohol, he poured himself a drink. This was going to be a long day.

 

Alec had done it. Had to do it. It was one of the hardest things he’d ever done, but he’d done it. Shivering from adrenaline, he crouched low in the alleyway, leaving against the wall, hunched over in his black and gold tuxedo. Lydia hadn’t seemed all that surprised when he’d run from the ceremony. She even smiled at him as he apologised and ran back down the aisle and out of the Institute. His sister seemed pleased, even if Jace and Clary were confused. His parents had been furious but Alec hadn’t listened to whatever they were shouting at him as he ran away. None of that mattered now, he didn’t care about anything. Whatever was going to happen let it happen, anything was better than living his life in utter misery any longer.

“I should have known the first thing you’d do was come here,”

Alec looked up to see Magnus standing over him, shaking his head and crossing his arms over his chest. It was true, Alec had run all the way to Magnus’s loft the second he was free, but hadn’t the courage to go up and see him.

“You know they say running away after your wedding is bad luck,” Magnus went on. “And I certainly think you don’t need any more bad luck,”

“Magnus…” Alec forced out.

He sounded wretched, even to himself, so Magnus frowned in concern, and crouched down to his level.

“Alexander…are you alright?” he asked.

Alec shook his head.

“Come with me then,” Magnus’s hands were gentle as he tugged Alec up, and lead him upstairs to his loft.

He settled Alec in one of his sofas and picked up his phone, dialling Isabelle’s number.

“What are you doing?” Alec asked.

“I’m calling your sister to take you home,” Magnus replied. “I’m one of the least qualified people to handle whatever it is you’re going through, and I don’t have your wife’s number so Izzy will have to do.”

Alec frowned, and before Magnus knew it he’d gotten up and taken the phone from him, hanging it up. Magnus looked at him apprehensively.

“I’m not here because I got married then ran away from my wife Magnus,” he said.

“Then why are you here?” Magnus sighed. “Here for another round of ‘How can I piss off Magnus this time’?”

“Not exactly,” it was strange to see Alec teasing him. “I came to tell you that my ridiculous wedding is off, and that I’m here to profess my undying love for you.”

Magnus blinked. And stared. His mouth opened, then closed. He stared some more. Then he blinked again.  

“You’re not serious.” He finally said.

“Aren’t I?” Alec raised an eyebrow.

“You can’t be…” Magnus took a step back.

“Magnus I’m 100% serious right now. I didn’t do it. I couldn’t go through with it.”

Magnus’s face turned dark, and he turned away, walking away from Alec. “Terrific.” He muttered.

Alec raised an eyebrow. “I thought…I thought you’d be…happy,”

“Happy? You just threw your life out the window! And you think I’d be happy?” Magnus cried. “I know exactly what’s going to happen to you now you’ve run out on Lydia and it’s not going to be good! When I told you to get out this morning I didn’t mean _to actually do what I said!”_

“You’ve kept telling me that I don’t have to get married, that I have the right to choose for myself what to do and you wanted me, why is that different now?” Alec asked.

“Alexander…” Magnus sighed, sinking into a chair like he was exhausted. “I’m not happy because you’re going to be miserable. Yes, I didn’t want you to get married, but I didn’t protest just because of my feelings for you, I protested because I didn’t want you to be miserable in an unhappy marriage for the rest of your life. Refusing to marry a woman you don’t love is one thing, but running straight to me is another. Your family –”

“Magnus I don’t care.” Alec said firmly, striding over to Magnus, taking a deep breath and crouching by him. “My family are not going to accept it but I. Don’t. _Care_. I’m not here because you pushed me or you forced my decision by what you said. You made me work up the courage to do what I want, that’s all.”

Magnus looked at him, biting his lip. “I did push you though,”

“A little, but I’m not here because you forced me. I’m here because I want to be.” Alec smiled shyly. “You know I feel what you feel,”

Magnus smiled, leaning his head on his hand. “Are you sure Alexander? Are you sure you want to run off with a warlock?”

“Sure as anything,” Alec chuckled, tilting his head to one side. “Why, you don’t want me?”

“I would never say that,” Magnus teased.

Alec smiled, and leaned over to kiss him. It was unprepared, unskilled and messy, but it was passionate and loving, and the best first kiss of Magnus’ life. And besides, he wouldn’t mind teaching his Shadowhunter some new tricks.   


End file.
